The Due Right of Presbyteries, Chapter 10 · Section 1 · Objection 7
Object. 7. It is absurd that there should be a Church in a Church, and two distinct kind of Churches, or a power above a power, a Jurisdiction above a Jurisdiction, a State above a State, as Master and Servant, and Father and Sonne, so there is here a governing and a commanding Classicall Presbytery, and a governed and commanded Classicall Church, and in a politicall consideration formally different: now where there bee two different States, there be two different names, Titles, and Adiuncts, as 1 Cor. 12. 28. GOD hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondarily Prophets. So it is said, Genesis 1. GOD made two distinct Lights, a greater Light to serve the Day, and a lesser Light to rule the Night. But the Scripture maketh no mention of greater or lesser Presbyteries, wee have the name of Presbytery but twice in the New Testament, and in matter they differ not, for these same Elders are the matter of both: in form they differ not, for the same combination and union is in all: they differ not in operations, for the superior hath no operations but such as the inferior can exercise, for because a Pastor exhort…th a Pastor comsorteth, we doe not make two kindes of Pastors, if wee cannot finde a distinction betwixt presbyter and Presbyter, how can w…e … a distinction betwixt Presbytery and Presbytery? Hath the Wisdome of Christ left these Thrones in such a confusion, as by Scripture they cannot be knowen, by Name, Title, Nature, Operations? And if there be a power above a power, wee have to a…end to a Nation and so to subdite a whole Nation, and their consciences to this Government, and we are to put a Kingdome within a Kingdom.
Answ. A Church-Congregationall within a Church-Classicall is no more inconventent, then a part in the whole, an Hand in the Body, and that is a lesser body in a greater, and our Brethren call the people a Church, and the Elders the Elders of the Church, and what is this but a Church in a Church? 2. A power above a power, is not absurd, ex…ept it be a Church-power, so above a Church-power, as the Superior power be privative and destructive to the inferior, as the Popes power distroyeth the power of the Chu…ch Universall, and the prelates power destroyeth the power of the … where of he is pretended Pastor. But the power of the presbytery is A…xiliarte, and cumulative to helpe the Congregation, not privative and destructive to destroy the power of congregations.
Secondly, a power above a power in the Church cannot be denied by our Brethren: for 1. In the Eldership of a …gle Congregation, the Eldership in the Court hath a power of Jurisdiction above a power of order, which one single Minister hath, to preach the Word and administrate the Sacraments; for they may regulate the Pastor and censure him, if he preach hereticall Doctrine: is not this a power above a power? yea two Elders in the Court have a power of Jurisdiction to governe with the whole prebsytery, but the power of the whole presbytery is above the power of a part. But to com… neerer; The Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem met in a Synod have a power, in dogmaticall poynts over the Church at Antioch, and others: and our Brethren say that the Church at Antioch might have in their inferiour Synod determined these same poynts which the Synod determined at Ierusalem; her's power above power.
Thirdly, we doe not see how they be two, or divers indicatures formally and specisically different in nature and operations, for they differ onelyonly in more or lesse extension of power, as the reasons doe prove, as the power of government in one City or Borough, doth not differ formally from the power of the whole Cities and Boroughs, incorporated and combined in one common Judicature, and the power of two or three, or foure Colledges, doth not differ from the power of the whole combination of Colledges combined in the comm on Judicature of the Universities: so here the powers of the inferior Judicatures do differ from the Superior onelyonly in degree, and in number of members of the Judicatures; the policy divine is one and the same, though the Superior can exercise acts of Jurisdiction different from the Acts of the inferior in an ordinary way; such as are ordination of Pastors and excommunication, where many Churches are consociated; though, where this consociation is not, Ordination and Excommunication may be done by one single Congregation: also to argue from the not distinction of Names, Titles and Adjuncts of the Iudicatures is but a weake Argument, because Congregationall, and presbyterian, provinciall and a nationall Church-Body make all one body, and the inferior is but a part and member of the Superior, and thefore it was not needfull that as Apostles and Prophets, and the Sun the greater light by name and Office is distinguished from the Moone Gen. 1. the lesser light, that Congregation and Presbyter should be distinguished by Names and Office and Titles in the Scripture; for a Prophet is not formally a part of an Apostle, but an Officer formally different from him, and the Moone is not a part of the Sun, as a Congregation is a part of the Classicall Church: so Mat. 18. the Scripture distinguisheth not the people and Elders in the word (Ecclesia) Church, as our Brethren will have then both meant in that place, Mat. 18. Teil the Church. Now we say as they doe to us in the like, we are not to distinguish where the Law doth not distinguish. But the Scripture sayth, Mat. 18. The Church that the offended hath recourse unto, is that Church which must be obeyed as a Judicature and spirituall Court, but the people is neither a Judicature, nor any part thereof. And 2. Of that Church Christ doth speake that doth actually bind on Earth and loose on Earth, and that by the power of the Keyes, but the people neither as a part of the Court doth actually bind and loose on Earth by power of the Keyes. 3. Christ speaketh of that Court, and of that Church which doth exercise Church-power on Earth, under the title of binding and loosing; but we find not a Church in the face and presence of the people binding and loosing under the name of the Church, in the Word of God. Shall we use such an insolent signification of the word Church, as the Word of God doth not use? and Lastly, I say of these of Corinth gathered together convened together in the Name of the Lord Jesus, with the Ministeriall spirit of Paul and with the power of the Lord Iesus; these cannot be the Church excommunicating before the people. The Text destinguisheth not the Court of Elders who hath the power of Jurisdiction from the people, and all these to whom he writeth, and who were puffed up and mourned not for the scandall, have no such power of Jurisdiction: nor can the Text beare that the Elders set up a Court before the Eyes of all the people, and delivered such a man to Satan, so as this is called the head of Elders and people, as our Brethren teach, and here they distinguish where the Scripture distinguisheth not.
Fourthly, if the Scripture give to us Thrones really different, though names and titles cannot be found, more then we find expresly and in words; two Sacraments, three Persons and one God, Christ Iesus in two Natures, and one Person, then have we what we seeke: but wee have these different in the things themselves, as Acts 2. 46. wee have a Church meeting in an House, for Word and Sacraments, as Acts 20. 8. and a Congregation in Corinth meeting in an House, 1 Cor. 11. 20. 1 Cor. 14. 23. and consequently here must bee some power in this meeting to order the worship of God: this single meeting is to rebuke those that sinne openly, and to hinder Women to preach in the Congregation; and to forbid, by the power of the Keys, that two speake at once; because God is the God of order; to borbid Doctrine that edifieth not, and speaking Gods Word in an unknowen Tongue, &c. 2. There is an Eldership foreign in every City in Ephesus, in Ierusalem who met for Jurisdiction, Acts 21. 18. who layd hands on Timothy, 1 Tim. 14. 14. in Antioch, Acts 13. 1. 3. There is a meeting of a provinciall Church in Galathia; where there are many Churches, as may be gathered from Acts 5. 9. 10. who were to purge out the scandalous and false Teachers who leavened all others, and who were Gal. 6. 1. to restore with the spirit of meekenesse any fallen Brother; and 4. There a map and patterne of a generall Synod warranting both a nationall Church-meeting, and an O…cumenick councell. And the like may be gathered from that Synod, Acts 1. and Acts 6. where these universall guides of the whole Christian World, to wit, the Apostles were, and did exercise Jurisdiction, by ordaining of Officers; and though instances of these could not be given in Scripture, there is a morall ground and warrant for it 1. Because joynt power of Jurisdiction are surer and better, then a lesser and dispersed power. For if the Keys be given to the Church visible, not to this or this little Church, as meetting in a private House, Acts 2. 46. Acts 20. 8. The division or union of this power, the extension of it must be squared by the rule of most convenient edification, and it cannot stand with edification if it be given to one Congregation onelyonly: The God of nature for conserving humane societies, hath given the power of government originally, not to one, but to a multitude; for one onelyonly is not in danger to be wronged and oppressed in a society; but a society is in this danger, therefore hath God given this power to a multitude: and a multitude is the formall object of policy and government, and cannot but be d…ssolved, where Lawes and Government are not; So the God of Grace must have given a power of government to a society and multitude of little Churches: for a multitude of Congregations is a multitude, and therefore this society and consociation cannot subsist, except Christ have provided a supernaturall government for it. It is not reasonable, that some say, a morall institution is not an institution; for Magistracy is both morall, and a Divine institution; that God have a certaine day for his service is both morall, and also a Divine institution: all institutions are not meerly positive, as some suppose, such as is, that the last day of the week be the Sabbath, that Bread and Wine be signes of Christs Body br…ken, and his Blood shed for us. So supposing that Christ have a visible Church, it is morall that shee have power of government also, in so farre as shee is a Church. Yea power of government, upon this supposition, is naturall, or rather con naturall; so by the same ground upon supposall that Christ have, in a Nation, a multitude of consociated Churches, who for vicinity may either edifie, encourage, comfort and provoke …re another to love and good workes, they submitting themselves to the Lawes of Christs policy, or may scandalize one another (as many consociated Churches in Galathia were bent to bite, dev…ure and consume one another, Gal. 5. 15.) it is morall, yea and con-naturall that they be under a Divine policy externall. Nor is it more agreeable to the Wisdome of Christ that a multitude of consociated Churches in one Land should be left to the Lawes of nature, and Christian brother-hood, and be loosed from all Lawes of externall policy, then that the just Lord who intendeth the conservation of humane societies should leave every man to the Law of nature, and not give them a power to set up a Magistracy, and to appoynt humane and civill Lawes whereby they may be conserved. And I thinke we should all say, if God had appoynted every great Family▪ yea or every twenty Families in the World to be independent, within it selfe and subordinate to no civill law, to no power, to no Magistracy without that independent little incorporation, that God had not then appoynted a power of civill Policy, and civill Lawes for the conservation of mankind; and the reason should be cleare, because in one Shire, Countrey, Province and Nation there should be a multitude, to wit, ten hundred, ten thousand independent Kingdomes subject to no Lawes, nor civill policy, but immediately subordinate to GOD in the Law of nature, and when these ten thousand should rise up and with the Sword devoure one another, and one society independent should wrong another, the onelyonly remedy should be to complaine to God, and renounce civill communion with such Societies; that is, traffique not with them, (doe not take or give, borrow or lend, buy or sell with them) but it is unlawfull to use any coercive power of naturall, or civill reparation to compell them to doe duty, or execute mercy and Judgement one toward another: now seeing grace destroyeth not nature, neither can there be a policy independent which doth contradict this maxime of naturall policy, acknowledged by all, in all policies, civill, naturall, supernaturall, God intending the conservation of societies both in Church and State hath subjected all Societies, and Multitudes to Lawes of externall policy: but so it is, a Multitude of little Congregations is a Multitude; and a Society. Then it must follow, that government of independent little bodies, under no coactive power of Church censures, must want all divine institution and so be will worship.
For these it shall be easie to answer the obloquies of some, saying, that a nationall Church under the New Testament is Judaisme. Hence say they, a nationall Religion, a nationall Oath or Covenant, is like a World-Church, a Church, a huge body as big as the Earth: and so, if some Augustus should subdue the whole VVorld to himselfe with the Sword, Hee might compell the VVorld to bee all of one Church, of one Religion.
Answ. The terme Nationall-Church is not in the Word of God, but I pray you in what sense can the Iewish-Church bee called a Nationall-Church? I conceive not, because of the typicall and ceremoniall observances that put a Church-frame on the whole Nation: for if so, then the name of a Nationall Church or a nationall Religion cannot, by envy it selfe, bee put in the reformed Churches, or on Church of Scotland which hath suffered so much for Iewish and Romish Ceremonies. But if the Jewes were a Nationall-Church, because they were a holy Nation in profession, and God called the Nation, and made foreign, a Church externally called to grace and glory and the whole Nation commensurable, and of equall extent then all Christian Nations professing the true Faith, and the Gentiles, as well as the Iewes; Then the believing Iewes of Pontus, Asia, Cappadocia, and Bythinia (as Augustine, Eusebius, Oecumenius, Athanasius doe thinke that Peter wrote to the Iewes) yea and the Gentiles, (as many interpreters with Lorinus, Thomas, Lyra and others thinke) are yet 1 Pet. 2. 9. an holy Nation, and so a Nationall Church; and there is no more reason to scoffe at a Nationall Church in this sense, then to mocke the holy Spirit which maketh but one Church in all the World, Cant. 6. 9. as Cotton, Ainsworth, and other favorable witnesses to our Brethren, confesse; And if the Gentiles shall come to the light of the Jewish Church, and Kings to the brightnesse of of their rising, Esai. 60. 3. if the abundance of the Sea shall be converted to the Iewes true Faith and Religion; And the forces of the Gentiles shall come to them, vers. 5. and if all flesh shall see the revealed glory of the Lord, Esai. 40. 5. and the Earth shall bee filled with the knowledge of God, as the Seas are filled with Water. It is most agreeable to the Lords Word that there, is and shall be a Church through the whole World; you may nickname it as you please, and call it a VVorld-Religion, a VVorld-Church. As if the lost and blinded World, Ioh. 2. 16, 17. 1 Joh. 5. 19. 2 Corin, 4. 4. were all one with the Loved, Redeemed, Pardoned and Reconciled World, Ioh. 3. 16. Ioh. 1. 29. 2 Cor. 5. 19. as if wee confounded these two Worlds, and the Religion of these two Worlds. And if this World could meet in its principall lights, neither should an universall councell, nor an Oath of the whole Representative Church be unlawfull, but enough of this before. And what if the World bee subdued to the World, and a World of Nations come in, and submit to Christs Scepter, and royall power in his externall government: are the opposers such strangers in the Scriptures, as to doubt of this? Reade then Esai. 60. 4. 5. c. 60. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15: v. 4. 5, 6 7. Psal. 2. 8, 9. Psal. 72. 8. 9. 10. Esai. 54. 3. Esai. 49. 1. Esai. 45. 22. 23. Psal. 110: 1, 2, 3, 4 5. and many other places, and there is a Kingdome in a Kingdome. Christs Kingdome and his Church lodging in a Worldly Kingdome, and Christ spiritually in his power triumphing over the World, and subduing Nations to his Gospell.